-In the absence of subsidies
By William Selmah, wselmah@gmail.com
The Newly inducted Chairman of the Montserrado County Chapter of the National Association of the Liberia School Principals (NALSP), Rev. K. Zubah Kollie, Sr. says it is unfair to blame private schools for charging high fees without subsidies being given to them.
He expressed regrets that the kinds of benefits private schools enjoyed such as cash and boosting of the strength of personnel in prewar days no longer exist.
“I remember that in time past, there were government teachers working in private schools but on government payrolls”, Rev. Kollie noted.
He was speaking after being inducted as head of the County Chapter of the association recently at the Apostolic Foundation High School in Sinkor.
He used the occasion to call on government to rethink its decision to exclude private schools from its tutorial program for candidates of the forthcoming West African exams.
Rev. Kollie who is also General Overseer of the Messiah Mission for Africa, described the Education Ministry’s action as discriminatory and said they were engaged with the authorities to ensure that they see reason to include private school students in the preparatory program for the exams.
Commenting on the state of the country’s education sector, the boss of the Montserrado County Chapter of the NALSP said they were aware of the enormous challenges facing the sector and that they were stepping to the plate to contribute their quota in finding solutions to some of the problems.
The cleric and educator also assured that the impact of their association will be felt all across the country. “Our aim is to ensure that the association is decentralized so that every district feels its impact”, he pointed out.
The keynote address was delivered by the National Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church of Liberia and Guinea, Bishop Stephen T.Y. Benda, who admonished school teachers and administrators to exploit the benefits provided by the age of technology to enhance teaching and learning within their respective institutions.
“Digital Technology has revolutionized the way students interact and the schools must move along. Use technology to enhance learning”, Bishop Benda school administrators.
He also spoke of the need to cultivate leadership in others and to create within schools, an atmosphere that supports conducive learning atmosphere.
The cleric outlined some of the favorable learning conditions as healthy school environment and supportive attitudes towards students.
The Montserrado County Education Officer (CEO) Samuel Bondo who served as installing officer, for his part, called on the new leadership of the NALSP to be impartial in all of their dealings.
“A leader should be in the middle working with people from all sides. What you do during your tenure, will determine whether or not you will be reelected”, he advised.
Those installed as leaders of the Montserrado Chapter of the National Association of School Principals are Rev. K. Zubah Kollie – President; Moses W. Karngar, Jr. – Vice President, D. Darric Dennis – General Secretary and Antoinette W. Agbutu, Treasurer.
The new corps of officers will serve a two year term in keeping with the Association’s by-laws and constitution.